Artistic Folklore: A global Instagram hub that helps people connect, learn and create folk art

Discover Artistic Folklore, an online community that revives traditional arts and crafts across borders

It began with a single hashtag. Two hobby artistes, Aishwarya Magesh and Lakshmi Radhakrishnan posted works for a themed Instagram challenge, organised by another creator, Megha Mocherla. Admiring one another’s pieces, they struck up a conversation and discovered a shared love for Indian folk traditions. Hence, they decided to set themes of their own and invited anyone, novice or seasoned, to join in.

Together they created Artistic Folklore (@artisticfolklore), an Instagram hub, where folk art challenges run quietly, yet persistently, week-after-week. Their experiment soon needed an extra pair of hands and that is when Jyoti Navin Sharma joined in. What began as individual pursuits soon evolved into a shared space where artists and enthusiasts explored themes, learnt new techniques and celebrated together India’s artistic heritage.

Indian folk art carries centuries of tradition, deeply rooted in regional customs, storytelling and religious symbolism. In today’s rapidly evolving artistic landscape, folk art is finding a new momentum through online platforms, spearheaded by passionate artists, who seek to reconnect with their heritage. 

The three founders come from varied backgrounds — Aishwarya, originally from Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu is a fashion designer with a degree in Costume Technology, now lives in the U.K.; Lakshmi, a medical data scientist from Kerala, grew up in Chennai and now lives in the U.S., while Jyoti Navin Sharma, from Mumbai, has a Masters in Biochemistry. Similarly, the trio also had artistic leanings, as in, Aishwarya, works as a freelance artist educator in London, conducting workshops for children and adults on mental wellbeing using art. Besides this, her personal works have been displayed at the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, U.K.

Lakshmi leaned towards Kerala aural art and Thanjavur art and delved deep into the folk arts during the Pandemic. Jyoti comes backed with a business in the textile industry. When her daughter joined the business, Jyoti returned to her long-desired passion and learnt various artforms from reputed artists such as Alok Ranjan Sahoo (Pattachitra), Mohan Prajapati and Dhani Ram (Kangra miniature), and Ajit Dilipbhai Chitara (Mata ni Pachedi).

The trio are undeterred by the different continents they live in and the different time zones, but found a way to collaborate virtually to plan strategies and workflows.

Historically, folk art was a community-driven practice — be it murals on temple walls, intricate storytelling through scroll paintings or ritualistic symbols adorning homes. Today, in a world dominated by contemporary art and digital illustration, traditional folk art is finding new relevance. Online collaborations allow artists to engage in cross-regional interactions and explore styles beyond native traditions.